Donald

Help Bring Balance of Becoming to the Ludlow River Walk

Sculpture /

Public art doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when a community decides a shared space deserves something meaningful—something that invites reflection, conversation, and connection. Balance of Becoming is a large-scale outdoor sculpture I designed specifically for the Ludlow River Walk. Standing roughly 10–12 feet tall and spanning 10–13 feet wide, the piece is built from […]

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Paying Tribute

Sculpture /

A couple of years ago, I completed a metal mailbox sculpture inspired by the work of Jonathan Borofsky. His art has had a lasting influence on how I think about scale, repetition, and the relationship between human-made objects and the spaces they occupy. Borofsky’s sculptures often feel both monumental and approachable. There’s a clarity to

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Echo Catcher: A Sculpture That Listens to the Quiet

Sculpture, Uncategorized /

Some sculptures demand attention. Others invite it.Echo Catcher, built in 2025, belongs to the second kind. Inspired by the long-standing tradition of bottle trees and ghost catchers, this piece explores how objects can hold silence, memory, and presence. Echo Catcher was designed to become a subtle guardian—something that doesn’t interrupt a space but deepens it.

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Junkyard Dog

Sculpture /

Every so often, a piece comes together that feels alive before the welds have even cooled. Junkyard Dog was one of those builds.   Built entirely from reclaimed steel — chains, wrenches, gears, and the kind of forgotten parts that usually live out their days in a bucket by the shop door — this near

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Astralis Sculpture in Granby, Massachusetts: Exploring Balance and Light

Sculpture /

Standing in front of Granby Junior–Senior High School, Astralis greets students and visitors with a form that feels both grounded and celestial. Crafted from an old propane tank, this large-scale steel sculpture consists of two slightly concave intersecting circles—an intentional reference to eclipses, or the fleeting moment when light and shadow align in perfect balance.

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Blue Heron Sculpture at Lake Wallace: Celebrating Nature Through Reclaimed Steel

Sculpture /

By Donald Longley, Hercworx Studios At Lake Wallace in Belchertown, Massachusetts, a tall, graceful heron now stands watch over the water’s edge. Crafted entirely from reclaimed steel, the Blue Heron sculpture embodies the quiet balance and strength found in nature — and serves as a lasting reminder of how art can deepen our connection to

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The Mayflower Has Landed

Sculpture /

Finished and installed at Chestnut Hill SquareBy Donald Longley After weeks of shaping, welding, and sanding, the Mayflower sculpture is now complete — and installed at Chestnut Hill Square, thanks to the generous support of Northeast Development and the New Art Center. This piece started as a simple idea: take the soft, easily overlooked mayflower

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Reconditioning the Warren Library Elephant Drop Box

Restoration /

Welding, Painting, and Bringing Public Art Back to Life in Western Massachusetts In a world of digital checkouts and e-books, there’s still something wonderfully old-school about returning a library book in person—especially when you’re greeted by an elephant. The Warren Library in Warren, Massachusetts has long featured a whimsical elephant-themed outdoor book drop. Beloved by

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From Signal to Sculpture: Belchertown’s Radio Tower Begins Its Next Chapter

Sculpture /

A recognizable fixture in Belchertown is coming down—but not disappearing. The old radio tower behind the Belchertown Police Department, once used for emergency communication, is being carefully dismantled. In its next life, the tower will be transformed into a large-scale public sculpture that reflects Belchertown’s spirit of remembrance, creativity, and renewal. A Star is Born:

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